fischer



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN U. FISCHER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND CHARLES S. FISCHER, OF SAME PLACE.

PIANOFORTE.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 24,905, dated July 26, 1859.

To aZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN U. FISCHER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use a certain new and useful Improvement in Dainpers for Pianofortes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of my said invention, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making' part of this specification, wherein- F igure l, is a plan showing the outlines of a piano, with my improvement in the dampers applied thereto, and Fig. 2, is an elevation of my said improvements in the dampers with the case of the instrument partly in section.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

In the attachment between the dampers and the pedal, in those instruments now generally made with the dampers above the strings, it is usual to raise the dampers by a rocking or inclined movement given to the late on which the heels or fulcrums of the dampers are attached. This motion brings considerable strain on both the dampers, fulcrums, and plate, because of the length of these weighted dampers from their fulcrum, hence the jaws or fulcrums are often injured and sometimes swing around sidewise in a manner that prevents the dampers taking the proper strings when they fall.

The nature of my said invention consists in providing a bar beneath the dampers and above the edge of the rest plank, acted on by the pedal in such a manner that said bar is lifted and raises the outer ends of the dampers, allowing the inner or fulcrum ends to remain in their jaws on the plate which in this instance is stationary. Thus the strain is removed from the fulcruins of the dampers, and the whole pedal attachment works much more easily and is more durable.

In the drawing a, are the legs; Z), the case; c the key board; e, the rest plank; f the bridge and plate; g the strings and zL the sounding board, all constructed in any desired manner and forming an ordinary pianoforte.

e', z', are the dampers attached by the fulcrum jaws l, l, to the bearing plate Zt', that is stationary, and is secured to the piano by screws or other convenient attachments. I have only represented a few of the dampers and strings, the more clearly to show my invention.

Z, is a bar. I prefer metal as being stronger when of the small size necessary for introduction between the dampers and the strings; this bar Z, should be curved to correspond with the rest plank and is provided with vertical pins or rods 2, passing through holes in the rest plank, and setting onto levers m, n, that are on fulcrums 3, and e, in the side of the rest plank block (o 5 is a spring to throw up the levers m, n, where the ends come together and lower the outer ends and the bar Z, except when the pedal p, raises said bar Z, through the rod G, lever g, and link 7, to the levers m, f/z, thus the dampers are raised by lifting the bar Z, up under their outer ends as before set forth.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The bar Z, beneath the dampers i, fz, and above the piano strings, actuated by the levers (m, 71,) or their equivalents in the manner and for the purposes specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this thirtieth day of J une 1859.

JOHN U. FISCHER.

Vitnesses LEMUEL W. TERRELL, Trios. GEO. HAROLD. 

